


Dance

by eccentrix



Series: The Red String [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Slightly canon divergent at first but will coincide with canon eventually, kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-08-18 20:32:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16524143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eccentrix/pseuds/eccentrix
Summary: A dance.That was the only word that could've described your relationship with Madara.Sometimes you took the lead, others he would. Sometimes he would spin your world around, dizzying you and leaving you breathless. Sometimes he completely overwhelmed you, moving so fast you could hardly keep up.Other times the two of you would stand and stare, waiting for the other to make a move.It was truly such a shame that he was a much better dancer than you were.It was even more unfortunate that you never got to finish dancing with him.





	1. Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> This one is short, but the rest won't be as brief. Just wanted to give ya'll a little intro.
> 
> Again, this is the reincarnated reader from BbS and Venom.
> 
> Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy~

“Oi! Izuna!” You panted, resting a shaking hand on your stomach. Liquid slipped passed your fingers. “Tell your stupid brother to slow down! I can’t keep up with this wound!”

Izuna turned to you, gazing down the steep hill until he reached your form a distance away. He gave you an apologetic look. “Sorry, (Name).” You watched him contemplate over his next action as his attention flickered back to Madara, only growing smaller with the added distance, and then you.

He sighed, angling his feet and sliding effortlessly down to where you were. “We’re still pretty far away from the medics. You can hold on, right?” You winced as he slid your arms over his shoulders, crouching and grabbing each of your legs to settle you on his back.

“I hope so,” you breathed. Izuna felt your blood sink into the back of his own clothes. You leaned into him, finally allowing your strength to slip.

Of course you’d understated the severity of your injury. Izuna cursed himself as your grip that intertwined your hands on his chest slackened while he trudged up the mountain. He could no longer see Madara. It was taking him longer than before to make his way through the lands, and before long, Madara appeared right next to him, looking disgruntled.

“I told you not to carry her. If she couldn’t keep up she should’ve stayed behind.”

“Don’t chastise me, nii-san. I wasn’t going to leave her to die.” His eyes narrowed. “We have lost too many.” Madara walked alongside his brother before putting his hand out to stop him.

They would surely be found at the pace Izuna was walking. With your added weight - you had gotten even heavier now as you had gone limp - they would be moving too slow. Not only would they be found, but you might not make it.

“I will carry her,” Madara spoke as he undid your fingers from one another.

“Are you sure, nii-san?” Izuna asked as Madara began lifting you from his younger brothers back, nearly effortlessly. Madara slipped you into his arms with your head resting against his chest, his hand gripping your thigh tightly as he pulled you into him.

“We will be moving too slowly otherwise. Let’s go,” Madara instructed, breaking into a sprint. Izuna took a second to marvel at his brothers strength before taking off after him.

A long while passed in complete silence - it was welcomed by both of the Uchiha boys - before Madara saw your eyes flicker open in panic. Your body went rigid and then promptly relaxed as his red optics connected with your own. Your eyelids fluttered shut once more and a small smile claimed your lips as you slipped into unconsciousness once again.

Madara forced his eyes away from your peaceful visage and tried to convince himself that you still thought that you were being carried by his brother.

**_~~~~~~~~_ **

Both Izuna and Madara stayed with you while you were being tended to by the medics. You hadn’t woken up since Madara had been carrying you, which was now almost twelve hours ago. Izuna was worried for his friend, and Madara was trying to tell himself he was worried for Izuna’s well-being should you not survive.

Senju Tobirama had appeared on the battlefield. He had made quick and easy work of the other Uchiha shinobi until you had confronted him. The battle from then on had been drawn out, painful, and exhausting. His speed was nearly impossible to match, and you found yourself losing the longer the battle waged for. Izuna had come to your defense and that was what had tipped the scales. Before retreating, Tobirama had left you a parting gift in the form of an impossibly sharp kunai thrusted into your stomach. Another opponent had ripped it out, intending on using it to attack you once again, but he had quickly been struck down by you.

That’s why Izuna had believed you to be fit to walk yourself back to camp. You had moved so seamlessly after being attacked and kept up the majority of the way there. However, your injuries had seemed to worsen the longer you trudged on for. You had lost a substantial amount of blood.

“Uchiha Shiro is her father, correct?” One of the medics asked, holding a clipboard.

“He was. He is long gone now,” Izuna explained.

The nurse cursed lowly, gave Izuna a quick bow, and ran back to your bedside. They continued to work on your injuries.

Another hour passed before Madara stood. “I’m going to go check if the others have made it back.”

The clan had separated into two units; one had gone to a battle with the Senju, and another branch had gone to fight off a lesser clan. Madara had assumed his brethren to be victorious, however casualties were unavoidable, and he was interested to see how they had fared without him.

Besides, he didn’t want anyone spreading false rumors of favoritism towards you. The longer he stayed, the more he ran that risk.

“I think she will want to see you when she wakes up, nii-san.”

Damn Izuna for saying such things.

“I think she will be satisfied with your presence, Izuna.”

“You can’t run from each other forever, you know. Your fate will catch up with you eventually.” Madara shot his brother a glare. Had Izuna been anyone else, he would’ve shrunken away from the intensity of his brothers smoldering gaze. But he was used to this, he received those glares often.

Especially during matters that concerned you.

“I’m not running, Izuna.”

The nurses grew in volume, and all of a sudden you shot up from your place on the blood-soaked futon, jumping to a stand with your heart racing.

Both brothers watched as your hand shot to where your weapon would usually be on your hip before finally registering where you were.

You only shifted from your combative stance when your eyes met with Madara’s.

“Guess I didn’t die this time either,” you spoke as the nurses ushered you to sit back down. They instructed you not to strain yourself by making such abrupt movements.

“I suppose not, (Name).” Madara turned from you after that, leaving the medic tent and heading towards the spot where he was to rendezvous with the others.

Izuna breathed outwards in relief. “You really had us going for a while there, (Name).”

“You serious? I would _never_ be bested by a Senju,” you spoke with a wince as a nurse prodded your gash. “Especially not _him._ ” Izuna let out a laugh. “Hey, was it you who carried me, or was it Madara?”

“Both. Why?” You averted your gaze.

You had remembered accidentally cozying yourself up to one of them.

You could only hope it was Izuna. Otherwise…

“No reason, just curious.” You really needed to be more careful.

Izuna gave you a small smile.

He knew. You weren’t aware that he knew, but nevertheless, Izuna knew of them.

_Your feelings for Madara._


	2. Unfair

You were in full uniform when Madara found you walking to your tent. The sight of your battle-ready attire made him narrow his eyes in displeasure. He hadn’t given you any orders to go anywhere near battle - in fact, they were at a stalemate right now. The battle between the Senju and Uchiha was put on a hold in order for both of them to collect and account for the dead and injured.

He watched your serious expression morph into one of surprise as you turned around and found him staring at you.

“Ah, Madara. I was just-”

“You were not given orders to leave.”

You gave him a sheepish grin. “I went to get some training in.”

“In the middle of the night, while we are this close to the Senju?” He rose a brow at you in skepticism.

You quickly searched yourself for any excuses that he might deem acceptable. Madara was a stickler about rules, and you knew that your friendship with him and his brother still didn’t disqualify you from punishment.

You had learned that from experience.

“I haven’t been able to do much. The nurses have been-” Madara stalked towards you, the sternness of his visage effectively silencing you. You took a step back out of subconscious anxiety. “Hey, what are you doing Madara? I’m just going to go-”

“Show me where you were. I will follow.” He stopped a few steps in front of you, and even though your camp was so dimly lit you could see the disapproval on his face. You were uncomfortably aware of his gaze as it swept over your body.

His eyes stopped at your abdomen. Madara’s eyes narrowed. “(Name), you’re bleeding.”

“Am I?”  

Your hand slid down to your wound, pressing on it lightly and emitting a hiss as you did so.

“Well shit,” you breathed. “That’s… not good.” He watched as the blood suddenly coated your fingers and began dripping to the floor. “Oh,” you moaned as the pain washed over you. The adrenaline from your training session had distracted you sufficiently enough - up until Madara had brought your attention to it.

Madara lunged to catch you as your feet buckled beneath you. You gasped as you fell into his hard chest, and he watched your eyes frantically flicker about. “Madara,” you whispered. “Don’t take me back to the medical tent.” His brows furrowed as your weight crashed into him. He shifted himself to get a better hold on your body.

“Are you trying to die?”

“No,” you protested. “I just hate being in there. They all talk badly about me. I don’t want to go there,” you huffed, your breathing becoming heavier by the second.

Madara cursed and picked you up in one swift motion. You were in a similar position to how he’d carried you not even a week before, though this time your arms wrapped themselves around his neck rather than hanging limply.

The more you held yourself up, the less it hurt. You weren’t sure where Madara was bringing you at first, but after a while you recognized the turns he took.

He was taking you to Izuna and his shared tent. “Madara,” you huffed weakly. “This will only make things worse. You know that just as well as I do.”

“If you keep making noise, you’ll bring attention to us. I know what I am doing.” You obediently shut your mouth and allowed Madara to continue the trek to his tent. As he walked through, Izuna looked up. His brows rose.

“Wow. Didn’t expect to see this so soon,” Izuna taunted with a smirk on his face.

“Shut up,” Madara growled. “She’s injured.” Izuna rushed to stand.

“You can put her on my mattress,” Izuna spoke as he picked up his large stack of paperwork. Madara hurried over to his younger brothers futon and placed you down gently.

“Watch her,” Madara uttered, looking at the blood now staining his clothes. “I will go get the head medic.” Before you could protest, he turned to address you. “And I will swear her to secrecy.”

That was enough to placate you for now. Izuna took a blanket and applied pressure to your wound. He hissed out a few apologies as you moaned due to the pain.

“Yikes, (Name). How did you reopen this wound?”

You sighed deeply. “I was training.” The blood started to pool around Izuna’s fingers.

“Why did you do that?”

“I… I fall so short,” you murmured, not meeting those golden brown orbs that were solely focused on you. “You and Madara are so strong. I feel like I’m just bringing you down. And I know he feels the same as I do.”

Izuna bit his tongue. You weren’t referring to romantic feelings right now - rather, you were talking about your concern that you were burdening them. But even still, his mind immediately traveled there because you _didn’t_ know that Madara returned your feelings.

“Nii-san doesn’t consider you a nuisance, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“How do you know that?”

Izuna grimaced. Could he really divulge that information to you? That his elder brother would admit his fondness for you only in moments of weakness - such as when he was either intoxicated or afraid for your life?

No. He couldn’t. You meant a lot to him, but Madara was his brother. He would come before you no matter what, even if he considered you somewhat as an adopted sister of sorts.

“I just know.” You didn’t seem settled by his noncommittal response, but nevertheless, you had no choice but to leave the conversation as it was.

Madara practically stormed in with the older woman trailing behind him, her presence significantly less consuming.

“This is the woman you want me to tend to?” She asked, shooting you a scathing look. Madara sent a glare her way that would’ve had anyone else wither. But she knew him, after all. As the head medic, she was familiar with him in a way many others weren’t.

Meaning she had grown accustomed to his demeanor.

“Is that not what I told you, Nanami? Get to work.” Izuna allowed the woman to take his place next to you. She immediately started, lifting up your shirt and pressing a cloth doused in alcohol. You grit your teeth at the almost unbearable sting. You could tell she was dabbing harder than she needed to.

No one said anything for the duration of your treatment. Nanami gave you strict instructions _not_ to strain yourself again as she bandaged you up tightly. She lifted herself up from her kneeling position and gave Madara a bow.

“I’ve healed your woman, Madara-sama. Is there anything else you require of me?” Madara ignored her slight jab.

He shook his head. “Go. And don’t speak of this to anyone.”

Nanami gave Izuna a bow as well. “Then I take my leave.” She spared you one last unwelcoming glance before leaving the tent.

“That wasn’t okay, (Name),” Izuna mumbled as he knelt down next to you once more. Madara watched as his brother leaned over your form. “She’s asleep,” he spoke. He turned to his older brother. Madara walked over to Izuna’s futon and looked down at you.

Sure enough, you’d fallen asleep. How you had done so while Nanami was being so rough with you, he’d never understand. You were probably the heaviest sleepers he knew, too. Izuna watched as his brothers face relaxed exponentially as he studied the rise and fall of your chest.

“Nii-san, you probably saved her life with how heavily she was bleeding.”

“She’s foolish for thinking she would be able to train with a wound so deep,” Madara mused as he looked fixedly at your resting body. “You need to keep a better eye on her.”

“What?!”

Madara glowered at him for being so loud.

“Sorry,” he murmured under his breath. “I mean, I’ve already got stuff to do and I’m bad at multitasking. You should watch her, nii-san.”

“I am not going to watch her.”

“Why not? Afraid you’ll fall for her even more?”

“I am not having this conversation with you.”

“You should snatch her up while you can, you know. She’s a beautiful woman and a strong kunoichi. She’s one in a million right now, seeing as so many women are medics. If you don’t act, someone else might.” Madara cocked a brow and tilted his head.

“Someone like you?” Izuna’s head jetted back in a laugh.

“That’s funny, nii-san. I’d never get in the way of you and your future wife.”

“Then I’m sure I have nothing to worry about. I will settle when it’s time to do so. We are in the middle of war, Izuna. There is no time for romance.” Izuna shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve made time. Maybe you should too, nii-san. Before it’s too late.”

Madara tore his eyes from you and turned to his futon. “You’re sleeping on the floor.”

“Wh-what?! Oi! You’re the big brother, shouldn’t you take the floor for me?” Izuna stood up as he protested. A small smile claimed Madara’s lips.

“I was going to, but you forced me to change my mind.”

“That’s not fair, nii-san!”

“Nothing in life is fair Izuna.” Madara settled in, removing his bloodstained clothes as he did so. “Goodnight.”

Izuna huffed. “Asshole."


	3. Fruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter.

Your fists were clenched and your posture was taut. You grit your teeth and kicked the basket of fruit that had been sitting a little too innocently by your right foot. You winced in pain as the movement stretched at your wound. You let out a long string of curse words as the assorted fruits flew about your private tent. “Fucking fruit,” you grumbled, half heartedly kicking an apple away from you.

“Hey, you okay (Name)?”

You turned around, coming to face Izuna who was covered almost head to toe in blood. Your brows furrowed. “I should be asking _you_ that, idiot.” Izuna shrugged.

“None of it’s mine. I was just checking on you ‘cause I know how upset you get when Madara has you stay back.” He eyed the fruits scattered about the floor. He scoffed, leaned over, and picked up an apple and wiped it off with his hand. He winked at you as he took a bite. “Those apples and oranges didn’t do anything to you, (Name). I told you to talk to Madara about doing some of the other work around the camp. You haven’t yet?”

“No, because the jerk probably wouldn’t let me,” You whined as you clutched at your side.

“I wouldn’t let you do what?” You winced as you heard his voice right before he came through the flaps of your tent. His clothes were covered in blood similarly to Izuna, and you wrinkled your nose at the strong stench of iron wafting in along with his form.

Funny how he knew you were referring to him though.

“Anything,” you shot back, the look of distaste evident on your face. Madara rose a brow in response to your disrespectful attitude. You shrunk in response. While you were typically a bit insubordinate when it came to him, you’d been testing the limits of the amount of exceptions that he was willing to make for you. You were really making things difficult for him. “Sorry,” you murmured, a pink blush dusting your cheeks at the intensity of his stare. “I’m just really bored. And you know how much I like to fight.”

“You’d only be a liability. I’d have to watch you every second in your current condition.” Izuna held out the half eaten apple to his brother. Madara inspected it for a passing moment before taking a bite out of it himself. His stomach growled, and he realized exactly how starved he was. “The only reason you’re not in the medical tent is because I’ve decided to go to certain lengths to ensure that you won’t be the subject of petty gossip. I can easily redact the measures I’ve taken to help you, (Name).” You looked down at your bare feet with a slight grimace.

Izuna watched your facial expression darken and sighed. “Relax, nii-san. I think she’s just frustrated.”

“I am,” you conceded with a huff of breath. “More than I’ve ever been. I just want to do _something._ I feel like I’m holding everyone back.” Madara’s gaze rested on you for several silent moments before he turned to the exit of the tent.

“Come with me.” Your eyes slightly widened and you looked to Izuna, who shrugged as he’d done before. This time a slight smirk was playing across his lips. Madara looked over his shoulder at you. “Are you coming?”

You bit at your lip, considering telling him that you’d rather stay in. Being seen with him was sure to cause unnecessary speculation. He swore he didn’t play favorites with you, but he did. Everyone knew he did. It was best if you stayed out of sight for now, especially after being caught with him carrying you the first time.

“Yeah,” you breathed as your mouth betrayed your gut. You slipped on your sandals. 

“Then let’s go.” You nodded and followed him out of your tent. Izuna clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, bending down to pick up the fruit strewn about.

You had to jog to catch up with Madara’s quick gait. He tossed the apple core into a bush as he finished it, and you hissed in pain as the quick jogging motion strained your injury. Madara slowed.

“There are a lot of things that need to be done,” Madara started. “If you want to do them while you recover, I will allow you to do so.” His gaze flickered towards you. “But you have to do them right.”

You nodded. “I will.” His eyes lingered on you for a moment more. You didn’t understand why at first, but once you passed a group of clansmen, it clicked. He was judging your reaction.

You weren’t visibly perturbed when they settled their attention on you and Madara. His one visible brow cocked as he watched you look unaffected.

You sure pitched a fit in private. In comparison to your composure in public, this was a huge difference.

The fleeting thought that you trusted him enough to let down your walls flitted through his mind. He pushed it away as quickly as it came. He didn’t have time for thoughts like those.

“Madara,” you started, your voice at a low whisper. “They’re talking.”

Sure enough, they were. He’d been so focused on you that he hadn’t realized. He chided himself for his failure to pay attention to the entire situation and turned his attention away from you. “Let them talk,” he spoke loudly. “They only talk because they lack the courage to step up to me.” He stopped walking and turned towards them. “Unless any of you would like to dance.”

You had to admit that he looked menacing. With the moon shining down on him in the way that it was, covered in blood and with his weapon behind him, standing with his arms crossed and that glare in his eye - he looked as intimidating as you’d ever seen him. Even you swallowed heavily. The co-ed group of Uchiha only stared at the two of you dumbly, frightened into silence. Madara scoffed and motioned for you to follow him once again. You did so, and you noticed he was walking slower than before.

“Madara,” you spoke once the others were out of earshot. “You really shouldn’t have threatened them. It’s just going to make things worse.”

“You need to stop caring about what the others say about you. It’s pitiful how much you concern yourself with the opinions of others.”

“These are our clansmen. Of course I’m going to be concerned with what they say about me,” you returned as the two of you drew close to the tent he shared with his brother.

“Clansmen or not.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Madara. They don’t look down on you like they do me. They respect and admire you.”

Madara held open one of the flaps for you and you entered. “And yet, you are the one here with me. You are the one I choose to have alongside Izuna and myself in battle. You are the one I am entrusting these tasks to, half of which I won’t even allow Izuna to touch.” You watched as he went to a stack of papers that had been set by his futon and shuffled through them. He handed a significant portion over to you and then meandered over to where he kept his clean clothes. “I’m going to change.” You nodded, sitting at the foot of his futon and reading over the papers he’d given you.

You heard the slosh of water as he submerged a cloth in the bucket that he kept in the tent. He washed his face off and went to slip off his shirt after taking off all of his accessories. Your eyes flickered up as you caught the motion in your peripheral vision.

Your eyes widened and your face immediately burst into a bright red color at the sight of his back muscles. You couldn’t help but to stare in awe, next going to look at his incredible arms.

You’d never seen such a well-built man. You shouldn’t have been surprised though, considering how arduously he trained, but seeing the results was different than knowing he did.

You watched as he washed off his porcelain skin, and the more thoroughly you looked the more scars you noticed littered his skin. They didn’t take away from the beauty of his form - in actuality, they added to it. He was a seasoned fighter, and a beast in every sense of the word.

“I didn’t take you here to admire me,” Madara began. “The majority of that needs to be done tonight.”

“W-well I, I just… I wasn’t admiring you, you know, I-I was just checking to see if you needed any medical attention.”

You snapped your gaze back down on the yellowed papers in your hand, your face still ablaze with embarrassment and something else you couldn’t quite place.

Your heart was beating out of control. Your mouth had gone dry and your fingers were trembling, lighting shaking the papers in your grasp.

Thankfully Madara had his back turned to you. If he hadn’t, you would’ve seen the pleased smirk on his face at the undoing of your composure.


	4. Engagement

Madara was seething. You could feel his rage emanating off of him in waves. It was terrifying. You’d shrunk back to the farthest corner of your tent subconsciously. You knew he could kill you with one finger if he wanted, maybe even with those eyes of his. That’s what made this so much worse. He was terrifying you. You’d never seen him so angry.

He spoke through gritted teeth, trying, _failing_ to properly compose himself after his meeting with the council.

“Explain to me once more, (Name). Why was it necessary for you to assault the leader of the off branch?” He asked, his fists balled tightly.

“B-because he told me that I wasn’t fit for a man like you, and that… that I’d suit _him_ much better. He tried to force me to kiss him! I had to hit him, he wasn’t letting me go!”

“Did it not occur to you to cry for help? To call for Izuna? _Me?_ Did you _have_ to hit him? Do you not understand the predicament you have put me in?” He walked towards you, grasping your face in his hand, forcing your averted eyes to look at him. “You are not even healed yet. You could’ve injured yourself again. Do you _ever_ think?”

“I-I’m sorry, Madara. I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, I just didn’t want to kiss that man.”

“You should’ve demanded he keep his hands off of you unless he wanted to deal with me,” Madara growled, holding your face even tighter. You swallowed.

“Well, our engagement was never finalized, so I didn’t want my words to be invalid. I-”

“Then I will finalize it. But you need to learn to control yourself. You _cannot_ assault the clan elders, as vile as they are. Someone of your stature should know this.” He took in the nervous expression on your face and let you go, shaking his head. “Every time I believe that your foolishness has peaked, you prove me wrong. You only ever prove me wrong.”

Your heart was hammering. Not only from his intimidating behavior, but from the close proximity and his touch. Madara never touched you - in fact, he went out of his way to avoid it.

Suddenly, what he said fully processed and your mouth dropped.

“Wait, you’re going to finalize our engagement?”

“Is that all you gathered from what I just said?” Madara asked, still fuming.

“N-no, but I-”

“Just because we will soon be formally engaged does not mean that anything between us will change. I’ve told you that before. Just because it was my father’s wish for us to marry does not mean that I will _ever_ fall into the role of your husband. Know that, understand it.” Madara sighed and took a few steps back from you, taking in the dark blush on your cheeks and closing his eyes to relax.

You were incredibly aggravating. The fact that you were blushing over his proposal only served to get under his skin even more.

And it made him even more irritated that he found the look on your face unbelievably endearing.

“I will settle this with the council. Don’t forget all that I have done for you up until this point. In return, be on your best behavior - at the very least until after the ceremony.” You nodded obediently, physically biting your tongue in order to stop yourself from saying something stupid.

He went to exit your tent, wanting relief from your presence, but stopped once you wrapped your slender fingers around his bicep. He turned to face you, a brow cocked in anticipation of what you had to say.

“Thanks, Madara. I’m very grateful for how hard you’ve worked for me.” Madara turned his face away from you, and he stepped away. You allowed your fingers to fall from his arm.

“Stop fooling around and I won’t have to.”

You weren’t able to respond before he left again, just as quickly as he’d stormed in.

You let out a shaky breath, the atmosphere much less tense now that you were alone.

Looks like you’d be marrying Madara after all.

**_~~~~~~~~_ **

 

“Sooo,” Izuna started, nudging your arm as you sat side by side, paperwork placed on both of your laps. “I heard you and Madara-nii-san are getting married.” You scoffed.

“Against his will, but yes. We’re getting married.”

Izuna sighed. You really didn’t know Madara as well as you thought you did.

“Well, at least the rumors will stop.”

“No they won’t,” you refuted, rolling your eyes. “They’ll only get worse. They rest of the clan is going to riot.”

“They don’t hate you as much as you think they do.”

“Izuna, Madara has been soft on me since day one. You know that just as well as I do.” You bit down on your lip. “But I’m pretty sure that if your father hadn’t cared about me so much, he would’ve let me die a long time ago.”

Izuna pressed down on the parchment a little harder than he meant to.

You were ridiculous. It was as plain as day - to most everyone - that Madara was easy on you of his own accord. Maybe your own feelings for him prevented you from seeing that, but _God_ was he tired of hearing you throw yourself a pity party.

Madara was _hopelessly_ in love with you, for God’s sake! Why couldn’t you _see_ it? Why couldn’t Madara show _you_?

“You’re being ridiculous,” Izuna responded with a scowl. “Nii-san doesn’t hate you or anything like that. You’re just-“

“Sorry Izuna, but I really don’t want to talk about this anymore,” you murmured, looking down. He furrowed his brows.

Getting engaged was supposed to be a happy thing, but here you were… wallowing in self-pity.

God. He was lucky he wasn’t Madara. You were really confusing.

“If you insist,” he returned, putting his attention back on his work.

The two of you passed the rest of the night with small conversation before Izuna left to retire. You spent the entirety of the evening staring up at the top of your tent, unable to sleep.

Your mind was buzzing with thoughts of him.

And they didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.


	5. Hesitant

As you knelt in front of the futon that Izuna was currently lying on, you felt a murderous rage drive through your veins. You knew you could go after the person who did this - you were freshly healed and had been placed back into battle. That was how you knew he’d be here in the first place. Madara had quickly retreated after his brother had been injured by Tobirama’s already bloodied hands, and luckily you’d been there otherwise he surely would’ve died. He’d been fighting 3 others at once, much like yourself. Tobirama had joined in on the fight against Izuna and effectively tipped the scales. Luckily, the injure he’d received wasn’t fatal, but he’d lost a substantial amount of blood before he was able to get treatment.

He was a fair amount more pale than usual. The nurses had all gone on to other tasks, which was a welcome change seeing as you weren’t their point of attention. Many Uchiha had been injured in the battle against the Senju. You heard rushed footsteps, and you didn’t even need to look to see who had hurried over to come. It was either a nurse, or…

“Oh, (Name)-san! Thank god! You stayed with him!” Your eyes traveled towards the woman who struggled to sit next to you, leaning over her large stomach.

“He is stable, Akane-san. Please do not overexert yourself,” you said as you assisted her to sit on the floor. “He would be upset if you fretted over him in your current condition.” Her eyes rested solely on him, and she found relief in his relaxed facial expression.

“I can’t help it. When he goes out to battle, I get so nervous. Even more so now that our child is due any day now,” she explained, slightly panting. “I don’t know how to navigate this, (Name)-san. I wish I was strong like you. Maybe then I could’ve always been by his side,” she spoke, a sorrowful expression on her face. You looked away from her, suddenly finding it difficult to continue gazing at her flawless porcelain skin.

“You wouldn’t be allowed on the field while pregnant, Akane-san. I doubt Izuna would want you to battle anyways. We are fighting the Senju more often now than ever before. He would want you safe, regardless if you were with child or not.” You heard her sigh from beside you.

“I’m sorry for saying that. I should’ve thought it through.” You waved her off, shifting to your feet.

“I will find you a stool. You should be comfortable,” you said as you moved towards the back of the tent, weaving around futons and tables alike. You dodged the hastily moving women and made your way back with a short wooden stool, setting it down where you’d previously been sitting. You helped her to a stand and aided her in sitting down on the stool. “If you need anything Akane-san, you know where to find me.” She caught your wrist as you attempted to leave.

“It slipped my mind at first, but I just wanted to congratulate you on your engagement to Madara-sama,” she said with a genuine smile on her perfectly pink lips. You stiffened, shooting a glance at the working women. There seemed to be a collective momentary pause, but they started back up just as quickly as they stopped. You looked back at Izuna’s fiancé with a stunned expression. “He announced it to a few of us when you returned.” She swept the strands of black hair that were falling out of her high bun from her charcoal eyes.

“Thank you, Akane-san,” you spoke shakily, still taken aback. “I… must be going.”

It was then that she noticed that you were covered in a fair amount of blood yourself. She gasped in surprise, unintentionally letting go of your wrist. You took advantage of her lapse in judgment to escape, offering her a quick bow and slipping out of the medical tent. You hurried to the lake, ignoring watchful eyes and passing by the others without a second thought. It didn’t take you too long - by the time you’d made it halfway, you had broken into a full on sprint, eager to get away and to wash away the evidence of your sins. You stripped quickly, throwing your clothes to the side and wading into the water.

Several minutes passed as you scrubbed yourself down. You continued washing yourself until you felt Madara’s overwhelming chakra approach. You were slightly taken aback by the fact he had sought you out, but you said nothing, keeping your back to him. Clearly, your nudity didn’t seem to bother him.

“You helped Izuna,” he started, his voice low and almost too quiet to hear.

“Of course,” you responded, still not turning to face him. “But Madara, don’t you think this conversation could’ve waited until I wasn’t naked?” You felt the flicker of his chakra and knew that comment had irritated him.

“This is the only opportunity we have to be alone for awhile,” he explained, his tone significantly more irate. “I didn’t want to speak of this with the others around.” You almost let out a scoff, but you weren’t too keen on wearing down his patience so soon.

“I understand,” you hummed. “I’m sure even now, the elders are looking for you.” You heard him sigh.

“Yes.”

You turned to face him, but lowered yourself into the water a bit more. He looked exhausted - with those bags and that look in his eye - and you sighed in a similar fashion. “Come in here with me, Madara.” You watched his brows furrow by the light of the moon. “No one is here. They are all busy with their loved ones or they’re injured. What’s the harm in swimming for awhile?” You kicked your feet, propelling yourself closer to him. “Besides, you’re filthy.”

He tutted. Several moments passed in silence and he didn’t move from where he was standing. It took awhile, but he finally went to set down his plethora of weapons and removed his robe. He took off his shoes but kept on his long pants. You didn’t protest, knowing it may be a bit hard to explain if the two of you were found completely naked together.

You were surprised that he’d indulged you, but even still, you were grateful. He needed to relax. He never took time for himself and the stress was seriously starting to weigh on him. You both allowed the time to pass in silence, each of you absorbed in your own thoughts. It was better this way - you wouldn’t stumble over your words or say something foolish. Even still, you couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d already announced your engagement - and what had led to your engagement in the first place. Guilt pooled in your gut.

“Madara,” you breathed. “I’m sorry for making things so difficult for you.”

He was avoiding looking in your direction, you assumed, out of respect for you. “I can handle it,” he answered gruffly. “Just continue to be on your best behavior.”

“I will,” you mused, looking up at extravagance of the night sky. “For you.” It tumbled from your lips faster than you could stop it, and your face turned an almost impossible shade of red. You didn’t take it back, though, and left him to ruminate on what you’d just said.

“...You are a confusing woman.”

“What do you mean?” You asked, trying to stem the wavering of your voice.

“Nothing.”

“D-Don’t do that, Madara.”

“I’m not doing anything, (Name).” He went silent. “I informed the elders as well as a select few clansmen of our…” he trailed off, unsure what to call it. You picked up on his hesitance.

“I know.” You didn’t trust yourself to say anything else.

“Was Izuna awake?”

You shook your head.

You spent a long while in silence until Madara moved to leave the water. “Where are you going?”

“To see him,” he explained, pulling his robe back over his soaked clothing.

“I see.”

He finished putting on his various weapons before he went to walk away. He paused mid-step, turning back to you. “Are you coming?”

“No,” you spoke lowly, not too fond of the idea of returning there with Madara after what the nurses had overheard. Madara nodded, and continued on his way back to camp.

He sighed. He’d wanted to speak with you more about the engagement, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had no established timeline of when it was going to be, and contrary to what he’d previously thought, it wouldn’t be for awhile. That meant that you’d have to continuously be on your best behavior, but it also suggested more pestering from the elders. He just couldn’t convince himself to marry you in the midst of a war with the Senju.

Besides, he wasn’t sure if this was what you - or him - wanted. You’d be forced into a domestic life, and he was sure that you wouldn’t want to subscribe to that life.

He grit his teeth. Complexity after complexity. Life could never be easy, could it? Was it the Uchiha blood? Was he cursed? Were _you?_

Things were already so difficult, and it was only the beginning.

And…

He wasn’t looking forward to how things would progress.


	6. Spar

What Madara hated most about sparring with you was that you always had a smirk on your face. It made him feel like you weren't taking him seriously, despite the obvious difference in skill. You'd told him before that it was just cause you enjoyed fighting him, that you learned so much from each of your sessions, but knowing that didn't annoy him any less. That look on your face always made it seem like you were goading him, so he'd push you harder.  Typically your sessions ended with you flying halfway across what had been determined the training field and crashing down on your back. Of course you'd end up cursing him out for a minute or two, as was routine, but you'd eventually get over it and take his hand when he offered it to you. Your fiery spirit never dulled, not even when you admitted defeat.   
  
"Ugh," you groaned, untangling your fingers from his after he'd pulled you up. Your face was flushed and your hair was out of place. Madara averted his gaze from your disheveled appearance. "You can be such a jerk, Madara," you complained, rolling your shoulder to stretch it out.    
  
"You expect to keep up with me?" Madara scoffed. "You haven't even obtained your mangekyo sharingan. Once you do, then you might have a slim chance at keeping up with me. Until then," Madara spoke, a smirk taking his lips as he swept the hand that had previously held yours through his dark bangs. "You've improved. I actually had to activate my sharingan this time." You rolled your eyes, sweeping the mud and dirt off of your shirt and pants.   
  
"Yeah, yeah. I know you're stronger than me, Madara. You can quit rubbing it in." You looked up to the sky, gazing at the fluffy clouds grazing by and admiring the titter birds that passed over you.    
  
"I won't," he responded, adjusting the articles of clothing that had fallen out of place during your little scrap. "You should be aware of that already." He noticed a few small twigs had made themselves comfortable in the midst of your silky tresses; he reached out without thinking, taking them out one by one. His eyes went from your hair to your face, noticing the embarrassed look on your face. He cocked a brow. "What?"    
  
It was out of character for him; it was a borderline affectionate gesture and it made heat course through every vein in your body. Madara wasn't a fan of physical touch, that you knew well, so for him to reach out to you of his own accord was a big deal. You felt that this was even more intimate than the times he tried to bridge the gap with you after sparring by helping you up.    
  
You were standing rigidly, completely silent though he had tried to prompt you to speak.  You were looking at him with a stunned expression, your skin flushed from either exertion or the proximity. Madara retracted his hand slowly after he was finished, trying to feign as if actions like this were commonplace for him, as if it were no big deal.   
  
_ But it was _ . To both you and to him.    
  
His heart had softened a bit at the prospect of marrying you - though it wasn't to be any time soon - and you ended up occupying more of his thoughts than he was comfortable admitting. His brother had noticed the change almost instantaneously. Madara had stopped refuting Izuna's statements every time he mentioned romance. It was complicated - in his head, Madara did not want to resign himself to be anyone's husband.  But you weren't just  _ anyone _ . You were his and Izuna's closest friend, the girl that his father had taken in, the woman who trusted him above all others. He'd saved your life countless times, you never took his presence for granted, and for the most part, you agreed with his decisions. Through all that and more, you'd grown a bond with each other that neither of you could deny. He could no longer pretend as if you were a nuisance. His father had always advocated for the two of you to be together from the very beginning. Tajima had seen your potential before your father had even passed. You were on the front lines along with your father and the boys, always ready to fight, ready to charge in. You'd gained the respect of many of the warriors of your clan, but the women, however...   
  
"Hey," you started, breaking him out of his thoughts. "We gotta get going. You have a meeting with the elders pretty soon. Don't want to displease them, or something..." you trailed off, a thoughtful look on your face as you watched his blank facial expression. He continued to stare down at you, not moving, not speaking and not prompting you to either. You could tell he had retreated back into the depths of his mind. You weren't sure what he was thinking - his expression hardly ever changed and now was no exception - but you knew he had a sufficient amount of dark thoughts swirling about in his mind. He was burdened with most, if not all of the clans problems with no distribution on any other assistants. He shouldered it all, and despite the fact that he'd just shared what could be considered an intimate moment with you, something told you he was thinking about something else. You frowned, reaching out to him and placing a hand on his hard shoulder. He blinked, signalling you'd brought him out of his head a bit. "Are you alright, Madara? Do you need anything? I can help you with anything you need."      
  
You watched as his eyes narrowed by the slightest fraction.    
  
Why were you like this? You were like a lightswitch, calling him a jerk and various other names referring to his attitude towards you, and then all of a sudden you were offering your assistance. You were so confusing. You were a blushing mess when he'd touch you or get close to you, but when you did it, your face stayed the same color it always was. You were a stuttering, emotional mess some days, and others you were confident, strict, serious. It made no sense to him. You made no sense to him.    
  
He realized that he wouldn't want you any other way, that he preferred you this way. He came to the conclusion that he might yearn for that color on your cheeks someday if you got used to him. The urge to put off the marriage even longer flared in his gut.   
  
"Of course I'm alright," he spoke finally, tearing himself from his thoughts so quickly that he gave himself a headache. "But if you want to do some paperwork, suit yourself." He took a step back. "You know where I keep everything." He turned from you, beginning to walk off.    
  
"Madara," you called, gathering his attention.   
  
"What?" He slowed his quick steps. He was a good amount away from you now, so you had to almost shout to reach his ears.   
  
"Thanks for sparring with me today! Don't worry about your paperwork for this week, alright? I'll finish it all!"   
  
The warm feeling that settled in his chest was subsequently forced away. He needed to focus.   
  
"As I said before," He called back, shooting a glance at you over his shoulder. "Suit yourself." Madara picked up his pace, eagerly putting distance between the two of you. Even though he couldn't see your face from the distance he was at, he could hear the smile in your voice.    
  
Madara's face became almost as warm as the black clothes he wore after the sun had been beating down on them all day.   
  
_ Damn you. _


	7. Splash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will fix formatting when my computer works again... ugh

If anyone had a reason to be annoyed with the state of clan affairs, it was you. The clan elders had a certain level of respect for you, seeing as you were the best female fighter and you were constantly out on the front lines with Madara and Izuna. However, them agreeing with Madara’s push for an engagement between you and him was something you hadn't foreseen. You had thought that the topic was essentially dropped after his father's death and Madara's hand had never been given to anyone else but you. You figured that they might marry you off to someone else, someone with less influence, but they hadn’t. You were, apparently, the perfect candidate according to them. They babbled on and on about how legendary your offspring would be. 

 

Their talks made you retreat back into yourself. He hadn’t talked to you beyond small talk since. By now, your prospective union had been made public to the entirety of the Uchiha Clan, and the clan had become divided. Some openly voiced their distaste for Madara’s choice and some supported the two of you vehemently. It was a dissention that had split the clan in two. Madara hadn't announced a date yet - in fact, one hadn't even been put on the table, but he had to make it public. If he hadn't, you were going to face the repercussions of your actions. You really shouldn't have assaulted that council member. He knew you regretted it now, especially with all of the rumors spreading about, but you had to cope with it. 

 

You'd been taking on the brunt of his paperwork for the past few weeks to keep yourself busy. You were completing Izuna's as well while he made a full recovery, and you'd even found time to train yourself thoroughly enough to finally master your second chakra nature: water. It wasn't often for an Uchiha to have an affinity for water style jutsu, and due to having fought Tobirama multiple times, you were able to finally copy his ninjutsu. 

 

Madara didn't know until about a month after you'd mastered it. He watched from a distance with a gleam of disapproval in his eye. You were excellent, yes, but to copy the jutsu of a Senju was distasteful in his opinion. Of course it would come in handy once you came head to head with the younger Senju brother, but it didn't take away from the fact that Madara hated watching your hands from those seals. 

 

He leapt from the high branch of the tree he'd managed to escape to, relishing in the cool breeze that washed over his heated skin. He'd just returned from a training match of his own with Izuna - he had finally healed and the match was used to determine whether or not he was fit to rejoin the battlefield. Madara had deemed him ready, but told him to err on the side of caution due to his injuries possibly incapacitating him during battle.

 

As his soles met the sopping wet grass, you turned towards him with a slight jump, your serious look contorting into an embarrassed expression within seconds. The water that you'd manipulated into a whip of sorts fell loose and crashed over your head, soaking you to the bone. You let out a dramatic, shrill yell as the cool water splashed all over you, drenching your clothes and hair and causing your skin to flush more in embarrassment. 

 

"F-For God's sake, Madara! Why didn't you warn me that you were coming?" Your eyes quickly averted as you realized that he was without a shirt, only dressed in dark gray shorts. You let out a frustrated squeak as he rose his one visible eye at you and paired it with a smirk. 

 

“You should have felt my chakra.” 

 

“You’re suppressing it!”

 

“That doesn’t make a difference.”

 

“Yes it does!” 

 

“How?”

 

“B-because I was focused and-“

 

“You’re skilled enough to sense me regardless.” 

 

You huffed and turned away from him, the breeze that wafted by next sending a shiver down your spine. The cold water felt good on your hot skin, but the breeze made you feel sticky. You crinkled up your nose at the sensation. 

 

“You’re distracted because the jutsu that you are performing are his. Your emotions are affecting your situational awareness.” Madara took a few steps towards your soaked form. You took a timid step back, closer to the lake than before. “If you’re going to perform his techniques, do them correctly and maintain awareness. Otherwise you do not have my permission to utilize them in battle.” 

 

While your face was still flushed with color, you scowled at him, the tinge in your cheeks making it look more like a pout. Madara scoffed lightly, shaking his head at you.

 

“I need to speak with you,” Madara began. The way he was looking directly at your face made your palms clench. “It’s regarding Izuna.” 

 

You perked up, your curiosity peaked. “Okay,” you spoke, trying to squeeze your hair out. “What’s up?” 

 

Madara’s brow cocked again. “‘What’s up?’ Is that how you speak with your superiors, (Name)?” 

 

It was your turn to smirk as you twisted your damp shirt, trying to get some of the water out.

 

He knew that smirk meant you were about to say something to get on his nerves. 

 

“Oh, great Uchiha Madara-sama, the most intelligent and powerful of all in our bloodline, what is it that you require of your lowly servant?” He crossed his toned, large arms over his chest with a smug expression. You almost regretted saying that. It clearly didn’t annoy him like you thought it would. 

 

“Now that is much better.” You rolled your eyes at his arrogance. “Anyways,” he continued, motioning towards the lake and wrapping his fingers around your wrist, guiding you towards the edge. You followed his lead as he submerged his muscular calves into the cool, welcoming water. “I wanted to speak with you about Izuna and… his wife. She is expected to give birth at any time so he is reluctant to leave her side. We can no longer delay the oncoming battle with the Senju’s main forces. I need you to speak with him. He needs to join us.” 

 

You furrowed your brow, kicking your feet. “Why do you need me to do it? Why can’t you? You’re the clan head, after all.” 

 

“I may be the clan head but I am also his brother. He will not listen to me.” 

 

A teasing smirk came to your lips. Madara caught it out of the corner of his eye. 

 

“Do you really expect him to listen to me, Madara?” 

 

Those brothers really had terrible communication. 

 

“He believes you to be more emotionally inclined than I. He will listen to you if you are the one to say that this battle is of utmost importance.” You stared at the rippling water. 

 

“I don’t really want him fighting Tobirama again, Madara,” you conceded with a frown. “Had I not been fast enough, he’d be-“

 

“Stop,” he ordered. “Izuna is more than capable of defending himself. He was fending off more than one opponent, that was why he was caught off guard. He hadn’t even activated his sharingan.” 

 

You grit your teeth. “Yes, but-“

 

“No. My brother is not weak.”

 

“I’m not saying that he’s weak, Madara, he’s-“

 

“I’ve had enough of this conversation.” 

 

A wave of heat crept up your spine. Hot anger. “Too bad, Madara, because I haven-“

 

“Your insubordination will not be taken lightly, fiancé or not, (Name). Do as I asked.” 

 

You stood up in a flash of rage. It was uncommon for you to get this angry at Madara, but it was even more uncommon for you to confront him when you were upset. You usually backed off and bit your tongue. Madara was an intimidating person. However, losing Izuna was not something you were willing to do. Tobirama matched Izuna’s skill, and that realization had struck a long lasting terror in your heart. You knew Madara didn’t want to lose him either, but for him to act like Izuna was invincible pissed you off.

 

Plus the fact that he had the audacity to speak to you that way made it worse. “I’m not going to have you tell me what to do all the damn time, Madara! Fiancé or not! And you should care more about your brother's wellbeing! You-“ 

 

Your eyes widened as he stood as well, and you knew that this wasn’t going to be good. At all. When he reared back to his full height and looked down at you disapprovingly,  you still didn't move. You stared back defiantly, your jaw set tight and your fists shaking with rage. Your eyes filled with contempt and he held back a smirk. You were finally... finally not holding back around him. He felt something swirl about in his chest, something he couldn't place. All he knew was that he enjoyed seeing you tremble with rage, enjoyed seeing you lose your friendly, submissive demeanor. You were always so eager to please him, blushing, stumbling about your words, joking around.

 

But now... You, Uchiha (Name), were challenging him. It ignited a feeling within him that he had died long ago. 

 

“Watch your mouth when you speak to me," he asserted, his body tingling with a foreign sensation. "I allow you enough freedom to do as you please. However, I will not tolerate disrespect." 

 

"Telling you something is a bad idea isn't disrespect, Madara, it's just a disagreement! And for the record, I won't be watching my mouth." You furrowed your brows, your angry expression almost looking childish to him. 

 

"I suppose you expect me to watch it for you, seeing as I do everything else on your behalf," he almost growled, sending a shiver down your spine. You took half a step back, trying to distance yourself from his distracting breaths. You watched as his eyes flickered towards your lips and back. The sight of him doing that sent heat to your cheeks, and while you were beginning to get flustered, you refused to back down. 

 

"N-no, you don't need to do that. My mouth is just fine the way it is, thanks," you said, crossing your arms over your chest. 

 

This time, Madara allowed himself to smirk at you. Your face lit up even more. 

 

You were so easy to rile up. 

 

"Then maybe you shouldn't speak to me with such vitriol," he said simply, closing the gap between the two of you. His thumb and index fingers zeroed in on your chin and forced you to look up at him. "You were so angry before. Now look at you, reduced to nothing but a blushing mess due to the implications of a simple statement." 

 

You flushed again in shame and anger, but you knew that some of it was because of the truth of his words. He was right - he really was able to get under your skin way too easily.

 

Your eyes averted to the lake, a horrifyingly satisfying idea popping into your head. You bit down on your bottom lip, mulling over whether or not you should truly-

 

"You're weak when it comes to me, (Name)."

 

Oh, yeah. He was definitely getting pushed. 

 

Your skin burned from where he was touching you, and despite the sweet aching it gave you in your chest, you stepped away a second time. His hand fell limply to his side.

 

"Yeah, well..." 

 

If he had his sharingan activated, he surely would've seen it coming. You were grateful that he hadn't.

 

Madara's eyes widened in surprise as you pushed him with all your might. 

 

“So are you, jerk!” 

 

He briefly stumbled, almost catching his footing and avoiding the fall until you felt his arms wrap around you, pulling you down with him. You let out a gasp as he pulled you into his chest and then you both hit the surface of the water - hard.

 

It took a minute for you to untangle your limbs from his. Once you had, you rose for air, gasping and coughing as him taking you with him had been a complete surprise. You'd expected him to right himself - to not fall at all - but instead he'd grabbed you... it had been completely unexpected.

 

"What the hell, Madara?!" You demanded, wiping the water from your eyes. "What was that?!" 

 

He had already been treading the water, having recovered long before you. You splashed his smug looking face, receiving a scoff in response. 

 

"You're childish." 

 

"You're the one who drug me in with you! How dare you call me childish?" You splashed him again. 

 

As you continued to bicker with the heir of the clan, you'd failed to notice the faint trace of a chakra signature - as did he. 

 

A small smile came to Izuna's lips as he watched you bombard his brother with waves of harmless water. Madara wove in and out of them, goading you and taunting you as he did so. 

 

"Yeah, nii-san... I think you'll be okay... if something happens to me." He looked at the sky. "I think you two...  dance pretty well together."

  
  



	8. Flames

Your heart had been shattered into pieces. You watched while the life you’d come to know and love turned into dust as the red flames raged, spreading and burning the rest to the ground. Tents were only piles of ash now, books and scrolls nothing but specs being carried away by wind. 

 

You’d already assisted in the evacuation efforts. Women and children had been first, of course, while the men expended an incredible effort to stop everything from crumbling down. You’d used your water-style jutsu as a last ditch effort to stop the seemingly never ending flames, but it was futile. Madara had held your thrashing form back and forced you to retreat, using the fact that they needed you to assure that no one had gone missing. Those that had been injured by the flames were being treated by forlorn looking medics - who, for once, had nothing to say about you. 

 

But you’d gone back. 

 

A part of you wished you hadn’t. 

 

The reflection of the fire danced in your eyes as you looked watched it all burn. 

 

A sigh escaped your lips, and you felt him before you heard him. 

 

“You are supposed to be with the others,” Madara spoke. 

 

“It’s gone, Madara,” you croaked. “All of it.” 

 

“There were no casualties,” he reminded you. “Let us be grateful for that.” 

 

“It’s unlike you to look for the silver lining _. _ ” 

 

“Yes,” he agreed, “it seems as if your tendencies have become my own.”

 

“I’m going to kill him,” you seethed, your fists balling tightly. “Senju Tobirama. He will regret this.” 

 

His red, sharingan eyes narrowed in on you. “And apparently, mine have become yours.” He moved to stand in front of you, blocking your view of the  _ nothing  _ that your safe-haven had become. “We are still unsure that it was the work of the Senju.” 

 

“They are one of the few clans that know where we reside, Madara. They are responsible.” 

 

His dark eyes kept your gaze. “Hashirama wouldn’t approve of something like this.” 

 

“Tobirama would,” you countered. “He is a monster. He employs tactics that would harm our women and children. You know it was him. They knew we were coming.” 

 

A part of you was grateful for the fire. It meant delaying Izuna’s untimely death at Tobirama’s hands. You knew it was coming, but now he was currently with his wife, still breathing. 

 

“Why are you becoming so sentimental over tents and inanimate objects? Have you gone soft?” He asserted, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s unlike you to be so materialistic.” 

 

“We have never - well,  _ I’ve _ never had a home before this, Madara.” You realized you couldn’t speak for him. 

 

His response was incredibly delayed, but he ultimately gave you one. 

 

“I will make you a new one.” 

 

“What are you saying?” 

 

“Choose somewhere. I will make one for you. One that will last.” 

 

There was a hidden, foreign emotion behind his eyes, one that he was struggling to restrain. You couldn’t identify that look in his eye, all you knew was that his stare had never felt so warm before. 

 

You took a deep breath in, inhaling the smell of smoke at the same time as permanently etching the breathtaking sight of him illuminated by the orange light of flames in your mind. He was more beautiful than ever at that moment, his shadow dancing closer to yours as he took a step forward. 

 

“Madara,” you spoke breathlessly, completely taken by him and the sentiment he’d just expressed. It nearly gave you whiplash, how quickly he’d come out with such endearing words as if he’d been harboring them for a long while. 

 

“Nothing is forever,” he responded, “but I will make it last. I will turn it into a stronghold.” 

 

He watched as your expression morphed. It almost looked like you were in pain, but he knew you were just taken aback, that you were absorbing the true meaning of his words.

 

It had taken this, this  _ catastrophe _ for him to realize that it would be so easy…  _ too  _ easy for everything to fall away from him. Izuna had almost died not too long ago, and then you…

 

You’d gone, alone, back to camp to retrieve more weapons. They’d halted the march for you, but you never came back. His fear had nearly paralyzed him and he’d ordered everyone to return. He ignored the many protests of his warriors, listening to his instincts that were practically  _ roaring  _ at him. He knew something wasn’t right. 

 

And then he’d seen it. 

 

The men had sprung into action upon Madara’s orders, but instead of going to assist the elders or the children, he looked for you. He’d heard you before he saw you, but when he had, his heart had seemed to completely stop. You’d been covered head to toe in soot and frantically shouting out orders, carrying Izuna’s unconscious wife in your arms, directing the children where to flee. He’d taken her from your arms and told you to go as far away as humanly possible from danger. You, of course, didn’t listen to him, but he kept his eyes on you for the rest of the evacuation efforts.

 

It was by far one of the most terrifying moments he had ever experienced, second only to nearly losing Izuna. You were alive, of course, and standing only inches from him now, but he couldn’t help but to shiver at the cold clutches of fear that gripped his chest. The feeling wouldn’t relent, but yet he wanted to comfort you,  _ needed  _ to comfort you. He felt that if he did so, then his fears would disappear. 

 

You sighed, your mind wandering back to everything you’d lost. It wasn’t just your possessions, it was every memory, every moment you’d spent with Izuna, Madara, and even the others… they were all gone. 

 

“We can start anew,” Madara offered, bringing you out of your thoughts once more. Your eyes swept down his form, swallowing thickly and furrowing your brow. Never had you sought out physical comfort from him before, and you knew if you did, it would cross the threshold that he’d clearly established long ago. But yet, he was standing there still, so close to you. His hands were by his sides now, hanging limply. He was less than a foot away from you. All it would take was one step forward and a subtle lift of your arms, and you’d be embracing him. 

 

The unknown was what stopped you. You didn’t know what would become of the two of you if you took that leap, you didn’t know if he’d retreat the way he was so fond of doing and leave you looking like a fool. You didn’t want to risk that chance, so despite the tears stinging your eyes - you were sure you could play it off as the smoke if he asked - you still didn’t reach out. 

 

Your eyes widened when his body heat enveloped yours. A wispy gasp escaped your lips and got lost in the collar of his shirt. His strong arms wound around you tightly. Without hesitation, your arms looked around his neck and brought him closer to you. You let out a dry sob that lead into wet gasps of sorrow. Madara flexed, tightening his hold on you. 

 

He couldn’t begin to understand. While he had Izuna, you had no one. You had this place, but it was…

 

Madara placed a large hand on your head, directing it to his chest. You nuzzled into him, taking that as permission to burrow as you pleased. 

 

Neither of you knew how much time had passed before he lifted his head from your own. You went to look up at him, but his hands went to your cheeks. Before you could realize what was transpiring, his warm lips made soft, controlled contact with the clammy, dirtied skin of your forehead. He didn’t seem to mind as he kept them there for much longer than expected. His rough fingers brushed away any semblance of tears as he parted from you. 

 

“Thank you Madara,” you whispered, taking another step forward in momentary boldness and wrapping your arms around him again. “The clan… we would be nothing without you.  _ I  _ would be nothing without you.” 

 

Madara held you to his chest. “You underestimate yourself. I did nothing but order them to assist you. You led them. You ensured our people weren’t hurt.” He exhaled heavily. “You’ll make a fine matriarch.” 

 

The tears that you’d struggle to stifle came back in full force of his admission. Your fingers threaded into the back of his Uchiha garment. He found himself smiling softly, relishing in the intimacy of your private moment. 

 

You cried until your tears dried. Only then did you break from him. You looked up at him, your eyes dewy and your skin shining from your tears. “Thank you, Madara.” 

 

“You’re welcome. It’s time for us to rejoin our clan.” You nodded and went to walk away. He caught your wrist. “Tell no one about this.” 

 

You let out a small laugh. “I won’t.” 

 

You continued to walk towards the direction of where your family had taken refuge and Madara’s shadow danced after yours. 


End file.
